The International Day for Street Children: Louder Together was launched on 12th April 2011 - a new campaign to give a louder voice to the millions of street children all around the world so their rights cannot be ignored. Governments need to listen and we want to help make this happen.
All countries have signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (except the USA and Somalia) and have a legal obligation to work towards ensuring that all children's rights are integrated into national law. It is universally recognised that all children should have these rights realised. However, many government policies and practices still do not include street children.
The International Day is supported by Aviva, the world's sixth largest insurance group, as part of their global Street to School programme which aims to help 500,000 street children get back into education or training over the next five years.
All countries have signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (except the USA and Somalia) and have a legal obligation to work towards ensuring that all children's rights are integrated into national law. It is universally recognised that all children should have these rights realised. However, many government policies and practices still do not include street children.
The International Day is supported by Aviva, the world's sixth largest insurance group, as part of their global Street to School programme which aims to help 500,000 street children get back into education or training over the next five years.
Statements of supportFilming Slumdog Millionaire opened my eyes to the horrendous conditions that street children in India are forced to endure on a day to day basis - an unimaginable mix of poverty, hardship, cruelty and abuse. That's why I'm supporting the International Day for Street Children and the Louder Together campaign. These children need a voice and need to be heard by the international community I urge everyone to go online and pledge their support at www.streetchildren.org.uk. - Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire director.
In my capacity as UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, I am honored to lend my voice of support to the International Day for Street Children. I particularly support this campaign's focus on child participation. Children - particularly street children - are not merely victims, but are subjects of rights. They have the right to be heard, and are vectors of proposals on how to improve the situation of children around the world. - Najat Maalla M'Jid, UN Special Rapporteur on Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.
All children have the right to grow up healthy, happy and safe; to enjoy education, and develop to their full potential; to be respected in dignity and worth; to feel supported in addressing the unknown, and nurtured in a strong sense of belonging.
These are universal values all nations have committed to respect but they tend to fade away when the situation of children living or working in the street is at stake. Then, stigma, indifference, invisibility and fear, routinely prevail.
This International Day is an extraordinary opportunity to reverse this pattern, and to launch an era where the fulfilment of the rights of street children, and their effective protection from violence, can define their universe. Being louder together, we will make it happen! - Marta Santos Pais, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children.
